Researchers mapped brick kilns across India and used climate models to forecast the levels of heat stress workers face between now and 2050
work with fire. But this has been the hottest ever, even for me,” says Harilal Rajput, squinting in the blazing midday sun. Rajput, 41, is a chief fire worker at a brick kiln near the town of Danapur on the outskirts of Patna, capital of the eastern state of Bihar. He is a migrant worker; his wife, a farmer, lives in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh with their three children.
“I often feel dizzy, my throat goes dry and I shiver as my body heats up, but our firing work cannot stop,” he says. Workers at more than 40% of kilns will face more than 50 days of WBGT above 30C, or moderate heat stress during the brick-making season. Some kilns will see WBGT above 30C for at least 100 days. Locations in northern states ofMost kiln workers are paid piecemeal so may be reluctant to take breaks for fear of losing pay, making them particularly vulnerable to heatstroke, dehydration and long-term disease.
The kiln is unusual because it hires people on a set monthly wage, with most workers earning an average of 14,000 rupees a month. Rajput earns more because he also recruits workers.
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